<P class=MsoNormal style=\"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify\"><SPAN lang=EN-GB>Standard Bank, based in Johannesburg, South Africa, has total assets of about US$81 billion and employs about 35 000 people worldwide. Its network spans 17 sub-Saharan countries (including </SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN lang=EN-GB>South Africa</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN lang=EN-GB>) and extends to 21 countries on other continents, including the key financial centres of </SPAN><st1:place><SPAN lang=EN-GB>Europe</SPAN></st1:place><SPAN lang=EN-GB>, the </SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN lang=EN-GB>United States</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN lang=EN-GB> and </SPAN><st1:place><SPAN lang=EN-GB>Asia</SPAN></st1:place><SPAN lang=EN-GB>. In addition to banking, Standard Bank has a strategic interest in the insurance industry through its control of the Liberty Group, one of </SPAN><st1:place><SPAN lang=EN-GB>Africa</SPAN></st1:place><SPAN lang=EN-GB>\'s leading life offices and financial services groups.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>

<P class=MsoNormal style=\"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify\"><SPAN lang=EN-GB>The bank was founded in </SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN lang=EN-GB>Uganda</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN lang=EN-GB> as the National Bank of </SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN lang=EN-GB>India</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN lang=EN-GB> in 1 906, which after several name changes became Grindlays Bank. When the Standard Bank Group bought the Grindlays\' network in </SPAN><st1:place><SPAN lang=EN-GB>Africa</SPAN></st1:place><SPAN lang=EN-GB> it also, in October 1993, re-established a connection with </SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN lang=EN-GB>Uganda</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN lang=EN-GB>.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>